The Land of Mystery eBook

“It may be that since we are suspicious of them,”
said Fred, “they feel the same toward us, and
are unwilling to make our acquaintance until after
reconnoiterin’ us. Helloa! what’s
up now?”

This question was caused by the action of Bippo, who,
trembling in every limb, and with the appearance of
a person overcome with terror, pointed to the forest
behind them.

CHAPTER IX.

A NATIVE HERCULES.

The savages that had shown such pluck in the instances
described, now gave another striking proof of their
courage.

At the moment the mystified explorers were discussing
the strange appearance and actions of the white men,
more than twenty of the athletic barbarians issued
as stealthily as phantoms from the trail leading from
the forest and crouched along the edge of the timber.

Their silence added impressiveness to the singular
scene and prevented their movements being observed
except by Bippo, who was so terrified that he could
only tremble and point at them.

They were partly hidden by the shadow which put out
a short distance from the fringe of the wood, but
there could be no doubt of their hostile intentions.
They assumed the form of a line, somewhat after the
manner of the combatants in the square of the native
village. This was to give free play to their
arms in flinging their javelins.

The occasion was one in which the fate of the explorers
depended upon their promptness and bravery.
Anything like timidity or hesitation meant sure destruction,
and the whites knew it.

“Into the boat!” commanded Ashman, addressing
Bippo and his friends.

The words were like an electric shock to the helpers,
who instantly clambered into the canoe and lay flat
behind the luggage, where they were safe from the
poisoned missiles that would soon be flying through
the air.

Those natives, with their crude weapons, were only
incumbrances in a crisis like the present.

The whites exchanged but a word or two and then opened
the ball.

A savage, evidently the leader, and one who probably
now saw the whites for the first time, had the audacity
to step forward a couple of paces, and with a yell
of defiance, raised his spear over his head.

Before he could launch the missile Jared Long sent
a bullet through him, and then, shifting the muzzle
of his Winchester toward the line of dusky figures,
he blazed away as fast as he could sight the weapon
and pull the trigger.

At the same instant the Professor and Ashman opened,
and the bombardment which followed was enough to strike
terror to the hearts of a hundred men.

It was more than the savages could stand, but, great
as was their panic, most of them hurled one or two
javelins apiece at the white men who stood fearlessly
erect and combated them. They had come from their
village prepared for a fight, and each warrior was
provided with several of the poisoned missiles.